Real‑world treatment outcomes among patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer in Japan: The Tokushukai real‑world data project

Real-world clinical outcome of unresectable locally advanced & de-novo metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a multicentre retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies, with limited treatment options yielding poor outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the real-world clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with locally advanced unresectable and de-novo metastatic PDAC in Saudi Arabia, providing regional data to compare with international benchmarks.

METHODS

This is a retrospective, multicentre study involving 350 patients diagnosed with unresectable locally advanced or de-novo metastatic PDAC between January 2015 and November 2023. Data were collected from 10 oncology centers across Saudi Arabia.

RESULTS

The median age at diagnosis was 60 years, with 63% of patients presenting with multiple metastatic sites, primarily in the liver (66.3%). FOLFIRINOX was the most common first-line treatment (55.1%), followed by gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (15.1%). The median PFS for first-line treatment was 5.3 months, with FOLFIRINOX achieving the longest PFS (6.5 months). The median OS was 10.34 months for the entire cohort, with better survival outcomes observed in patients receiving FOLFIRINOX (12.3 months). Independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS included performance status, first-line regimen, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Among patients tested, 7.1% had deficient mismatch repair (d-MMR), and 5.8% harbored BRCA mutations.

CONCLUSIONS

This real-world study confirms that clinical outcomes for locally advanced unresectable and metastatic PDAC in Saudi Arabia are consistent with international data, with FOLFIRINOX showing superior outcomes over gemcitabine-based regimens. However, both treatments reflect the persistent poor prognosis of PDAC, underscoring the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Further research is warranted to optimize treatment selection and improve survival outcomes in this population.

Pancreatic Cancer in High-Income Asia-Pacific: A Population-Based Study

BackgroundPancreatic cancer places a substantial global health and economic burden. However, the epidemiological characteristics and chronological trends of pancreatic cancer in high-income Asia-Pacific have not been systematically analyzed.MethodsData obtained from the GBD 2021 database were used for this cross-country secondary analysis. We used Joinpoint regression to analyze the temporal trends of pancreatic cancer disease burden in the high-income Asia-Pacific. Age-period-cohort model was used to estimate and describe the impact of age, period, and cohort effects on health outcomes. Bayesian age-period-cohort model was used for the projection of pancreatic cancer incidence from 2022 to 2036.ResultsIn high-income Asia-Pacific, the age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), mortality rate (ASMR), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) rate (ASDR) were estimated to be 11.2 (95% UI, 9.69-12.17), 9.56 (95% UI, 8.34-10.34), and 197.6 (95% UI, 178.87-210.6) per 100 000 population, respectively, in 2021, which were all higher than those in across Asia. From 1990 to 2002, the age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) trend was rather stable. Instead, the ASIRs trend went up gradually from 2002 to 2011 in both males (APC = + 1.03, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.20) and females (APC = + 1.64, 95% CI: 1.40, 1.89). ASIRs and ASMRs went up considerably with increasing age, especially over 60. The ASIRs in the high-income Asia-Pacific region are predicted to go down in the years ahead, from approximately 12.81 in 2021 to approximately 11.11 in 2036 for males, and from approximately 8.97 in 2021 to approximately 8.42 in 2036 for females.ConclusionA comprehensive upward trend in ASIRs, ASPRs, ASMRs, and ASDRs of pancreatic cancer was observed in the high-income Asia-Pacific between 1990 and 2021. Given the poor prognosis of pancreatic cancer, prevention strategies are paramount, especially for modifiable factors like smoking, alcohol drinking, and obesity.

Analysis of thromboembolism and prognosis in metastatic pancreatic cancer from the Tokushukai REAl‑world data project

Cancer-associated thromboembolism (CAT), including venous thromboembolism (VTE) and arterial thromboembolism (ATE), is a frequent complication of advanced pancreatic cancer. However, reports on its incidence and clinical outcomes, especially on ATE, are limited. The present study aimed to investigate the incidence of CAT and its effects on overall survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. As part of the Tokushukai REAl-world data project in Japan, 846 eligible patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with first-line chemotherapy were identified between April 2010 and March 2020. Using diagnosis procedure combination data from these patients, the present study investigated the incidence of VTE, ATE and cerebral and gastrointestinal bleeding requiring hospitalization. Blood laboratory data were collected within 14 days of the start of first-line treatment, and Khorana scores were calculated. The associations between CAT complications and comorbidities, concomitant medications and prognosis were examined. Among the 846 patients, 21 (2.5) and 70 (8.3%) had VTE and ATE, respectively (including five with overlapping VTE and ATE). CAT-positive patients had a significantly higher rate of gastrointestinal bleeding events compared with CAT-negative patients [13 of 86 (15.2%) vs. 46 of 760 (6.1%); P=0.01]. CAT-positive patients had a poorer prognosis [hazard ratio (HR), 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-1.62] compared with CAT-negative patients, even after adjusting for background factors (HR, 1.20; 95% CI, 0.95-1.52). Cox regression analyses showed that higher Khorana scores were associated with significantly worse prognosis. This real-world data demonstrated that the incidence rate of CAT in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer was 10.2%, and no statistically significant differences were observed, although there was a trend toward an adverse prognosis. The Khorana score may also be useful for predicting prognosis, even in the absence of CAT. This study was registered in the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm; clinical trial no. UMIN000050590).

Impact of previous S-1 treatment on efficacy of liposomal irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Liposomal irinotecan plus 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin (nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV) provides survival benefits for metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC) refractory to gemcitabine-based treatment, mainly gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GA), in current practice. Gemcitabine plus S-1 (GS) is another commonly administered first-line regimen before nab-paclitaxel reimbursement; however, the efficacy and safety of nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV for mPDAC after failed GS treatment has not been reported and was therefore explored in this study.

METHODS

In total, 177 patients with mPDAC received first-line GS or GA treatment, followed by second-line nal-IRI + 5-FU/LV treatment (identified from a multicenter retrospective cohort in Taiwan from 2018 to 2020); 85 and 92 patients were allocated to the GS and GA groups, respectively. Overall survival (OS), time-to-treatment failure (TTF), and adverse events were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The baseline characteristics of the two groups were generally similar; however, a higher median age (67 versus 62 years, p < 0.001) and fewer liver metastases (52% versus 78%, p < 0.001) were observed in the GS versus GA group. The median OS was 15.0 and 15.9 months in the GS and GA groups, respectively (p = 0.58). The TTF (3.1 versus 2.8 months, p = 0.36) and OS (7.6 versus 6.7 months, p = 0.83) after nal-IRI treatment were similar between the two groups. More patients in the GS group developed mucositis during nal-IRI treatment (15% versus 4%, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

The efficacy of second-line nal-IRI +5-FU/LV treatment was unaffected by prior S-1 exposure. GS followed by nal-IRI treatment is an alternative treatment sequence for patients with mPDAC.

Inflammation‑based prognostic markers of metastatic pancreatic cancer using real‑world data in Japan: The Tokushukai REAl‑world Data (TREAD) project

Inflammation-based prognostic markers based on a combination of blood-based parameters, including the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), have been associated with clinical outcomes in patients with various types of cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy of these previously reported markers in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy. A total of 846 patients were identified between April 2010 and March 2020 as part of a nationwide real-world study from 46 Tokushukai medical group hospitals in Japan. Blood laboratory data collected within 14 days of starting first-line chemotherapy assessed 17 inflammation-based prognostic markers. Information from patients with no missing data was used to compare the accuracy and performance of the inflammation-based prognostic markers. A total of 487 patients were eligible for this supplemental analysis. The 17 inflammation-based markers demonstrated significant prognostic value. Among them, the concordance rate with overall survival (OS) was highest for mGPS. The median OS time of patients with mGPS 0, 1 and 2 was 8.2, 6.0 and 2.9 months, respectively. Compared with mGPS 0, mGPS 1 and 2 showed hazard ratios of 1.39 (95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.81) and 2.63 (2.00-3.45), respectively. The present real-world data analysis showed that various previously reported inflammation-based markers had significant prognostic value in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Among these markers, the mGPS demonstrated the highest level of accuracy. This trial has been registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry as UMIN000050590 on April 1, 2023.